IN> Roles, and how they come to be

[William Keith]

On Sep 5, 2006, at 9:47 PM, Landon W Schurtz wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Pardon me if I am dredging up some old discussion, but
> I didn't seen anything in the FAQ or in the list rules
> that was illuminating on the subject.  So I ask,
>
> How do roles "come about" in the world?  Does a
> celestial have to live out the role in order to
> "establish" it?

Yep.  Typically, this grunt work is done by relievers or demonlings, 
because it's more convenient to have full-fledged demons spend their 
time in Role, by doing what you mention next:

>   In principle, it seems, no matter how
> they come about, that a celestial with an appropriate
> vessel could "take over" a Role from another celestial
> (given enough of a briefing, depending on how complex
> things are) without disrupting the Role.

Many Roles are prepared this way, though sometimes a celestial simply 
starts out with some ID paperwork and builds up the Role themself; this 
is especially useful for "deep cover" operatives who rely on a high 
Role.

>   Likewise, it
> seems that a high rated Role could be gained by
> creating a vessel appropriate to "step into" the life
> of someone the celestial knows is dead, but whose
> death is not known to the rest of the world.

This is in fact exactly how Laurence's Kyriotates obtain Roles as a 
Servitor Attunement, along with a body; other celestials could have 
their Superiors make a body to spec and quickly get well-established 
identification paperwork, but they would still have to spend time 
living the Role before the Symphony accepted them as someone performign 
that job, holding that name, etc.

> The most important aspect of my question is whether
> Roles can just "be created" (by sufficiently powerful
> beings, of course).  Can they simply weave the changes
> into the Symphony without having any "grunt work" done
> in establishing the Role?

Usually not.  Special cases are Laurence's Kyriotates, as above, and 
Jordi's servants in their favored animal Vessel.  Asmodeus' Servitors 
get Roles, but must pay for them; the Game simply is very good at 
helping these get established.  Nybbas' Lilim sart with Roles as their 
Band attunement and do not have to pay extra, but again one can imagine 
that this is simply the gratis product of much grunt work on the part 
of the Media.  However, it is also in the flavor of Nybbas' Word to 
have him be able to simply wave his hand, put some Essence into it, and 
say, "You're a star, baby.  Even the Symphony thinks so."  For most 
celestials, however, somebody has to put the elbow grease in.

William